1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to merchandise display systems and, in particular, to display systems for use with merchandise having a variety of shapes and sizes, such as glass bakeware.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The two fundamental problems facing manufacturers and distributors of goods sold at retail are (1) obtaining sufficient shelf space for their goods and (2) presenting the goods to the customer in a pleasing and informative manner. These problems are accentuated when a family of goods having different sizes and shapes is to be displayed. The presentation problem is also more difficult when the goods are breakable, since in addition to being presented in a commercially effective manner, the goods must also be presented in a way in which they are not likely to be broken.
One type of merchandise which has been found particularly difficult to display effectively is glass bakeware. Typically, a manufacturer will produce a full line of bakeware, including, loaf, casserole, cake, cookie, pizza, and pie dishes, along with various types of mixing bowls. Normally, there is no clear, definable space on the retailer's shelf for any particular item. As a result, it is not uncommon for a retailer to place overstocks for one item in the place where another item should be displayed. Along these same lines, once a product sells out, the only thing left to reserve the product's space on the shelf is a tag provided by the retailer, and thus shelf space can be easily lost to competing products.
In addition to these problems, to date, there has been no safe and effective way to display glass products on an angle so that labels placed on the bottom, inside surface of the product, e.g., at the bottom of a baking dish, can be seen by the customer. Typically, the bottom, inside surface of the product is the largest area available for providing written and graphic information to the consumer at the point of sale.